- Jeffrey Hunter, King of Kings, 1960. Pope John XXIII met producer Samuel Bronston and approved the script. – never knowing that scenarist Philip Yordan saw Jesus as a cowboy…! “Christ was a loner. He’s not much different than my usual character. The Western character. It’s the same character. The man alone.” And, indeed, while Bronston looked over the English Cushing and Alec Guinness, Scottish Tom Fleming (BBC’s TV Jesus of Nazareth in 1956), Australian Keith Michel, Canadian Christopher Plummer and even Swedish Max Von Sydow (who became George Stevens’ Christ in 1964) , he signed Hunter, who .had made 16 Westerns, including two for the guy who recommended him: John Ford. Despite being, at 35, closer to Christ’s age than per usual in Schmollywood
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 1